When Kim and I flew to China to adopt Annabelle, we were a little nervous about the length of the trip and the fact that we’d be spending 10 days with Annabelle, mostly on our own. We were concerned about the language barrier, and we wondered what we’d do to fill up 10 days. It turns out that those 10 days were a gift. We had a fantabulous family with us (complete with a couple of kiddos for Annabelle to hang out with) and the days seemed to fly by. We got to spend a great deal of uninterrupted time bonding. Without the day-to-day stresses of running a household, work, and other commitments, we could focus on getting to know each other, building trust, and starting this new relationship.
It’s been a little different with Josie. We didn’t go to China to get her; she came to us. She was dropped right into the middle of school, football practices, after school drama rehearsals, babysitting, and my life as a pastor. The first thing I did after signing the custody/guardianship papers? Head out of town for a couple of days on a pastors’ retreat. Looking back at our first adoption, we see how important that initial period of together is.
So what did God do for us? He gave us a 5 day weekend this week! Our kids have been out of school since Tuesday afternoon. Josie hasn’t started school yet (Monday is looming, and she’s excited!) but she’s had several days now to play and sing and simply be with her brother and sisters. Kim’s schedule has been pretty light, and I’m doing my best to create some margin to spend being home with them.
Josie is adjusting really well to life in the Sublett house, and we are thrilled to have her with us. We’re learning more about her story, seeing some clear signs of her adopting us, and loving this new chapter in our life. This week of extra down-time has been a blessing…
0 Comments